Deck 3: Hinduism

Question 1

The Hindu word for religion, which also refers to duty, natural law, social welfare, ethics, health, wealth, power, and so on, is __________.

Answer 1

dharma

Question 2

According to Indian tradition, the Vedas were first heard and carried orally around __________.

Answer 2

8000-6000 BCE

Question 3

Spiritual disciplines designed to clear the mind and support a state of serene, detached awareness are called __________.

Answer 3

yoga

Question 4

The power of the feminine aspect of the divine is known as __________.

Question 5

Hindu sacred texts that instruct worshippers how to honor the feminine divine are called __________.

Question 6

The three major aspects of the deity in Hinduism are called __________, __________, and __________.

Question 7

The two great Hindu epics are called __________ and __________.

Question 8

The ancient compendium of mythological narratives on the origins of the cosmos, life, deities, humanity; stories of legendary heroes; and actions of the deity are called __________.

Question 9

The jolliest of all Hindu festivals, characterized by the throwing of colored powder, and celebrated at the advent of spring is called __________.

Question 10

The nineteenth century spiritual leader who recognized the Divine Mother in everything, including a cat, was named __________.

Question 11

The oldest of the known Vedic scriptures is the __________.

A) Shakta
B) Kali
C) Rig Veda
D) Great Veda

Question 12

The Hindu god of fire is called __________.

A) Ishtar
B) Agni
C) Kali
D) Ushas

Question 13

The karma-run wheel of birth, death, and rebirth is called __________.

A) Brahma
B) Atman
C) Vishnu
D) Samsara

Question 14

Brahmin priests who are trained in Vedic practices and in the proper recitation of Sanskrit texts are called __________.

A) Pujaris
B) Darshan
C) Prasad
D) Devi

Question 15

The complex system of hierarchies and inequalities that constitutes life in India is referred to by the English word __________.

A) caste
B) patriarchy
C) class
D) status

Question 16

What is the name for a Hindu spiritual teacher?

A) Ashram
B) Soma
C) Rishis
D) Guru

Question 17

The father of modern, independent India who taught nonviolent resistance to military and industrial oppression was __________.

A) Mogul Empire
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Rama Yana
D) Sarada Devi

Question 18

Hinduism is largely separable from other dharmic traditions, such as Buddhism or Janism.

Question 19

Historians of Hinduism agree that "Aryans" invaded and influenced the Indus Valley.

Question 20

Hindu tradition teaches that the Vedas are not the work of humans.

Question 21

The ultimate goal in Hinduism is to make good karma in order to achieve a good incarnation in the next life.

Question 22

Hindu philosophical systems include both dualistic and monistic viewpoints.

Question 23

The Hindu deity who reconciles darkness and light, good and evil, and creation and destruction in the eternal dance of life is called Shiva.

Question 24

Following the ancient Vedic traditions, Hindu ritual fire ceremonies occur around a sacred fire place that is called an altar.

Question 25

Hindu death rituals require cremation, followed by the ritual immersion of bone and ash in the waters of a holy river.

Question 26

A guru's feet are believed to emanate great power, so devotees will often bend to touch the feet of their spiritual teachers.

Question 27

A Hindu woman's role is usually linked to her husband's, who takes the position of her god and teacher.

Question 28

Pilgrimages are important but rarely undertaken by Hindus due to the remote and mountainous locations of many sacred places.

Question 29

Today Hinduism is experiencing a vibrant growth beyond the Indian subcontinent.

Question 30

The spiritual expressions of Hinduism range from extreme asceticism to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness behind the material world to the worship of images representing a multiplicity of deities. Explain these seeming dichotomies in Hinduism. Why are there so many variations in this tradition? What connects the elements of the tradition over time?

Question 31

How are women regarded in the Hindu tradition? Give contrasting examples to show a range of perspectives. How do you evaluate these contrasts?

Question 32

Modern India is an independent country free of British colonial rule, characterized in part by its secularism. India is multicultural, multireligious, and does not confer favored political status on any religion. Some have argued that secularism has robbed India of its traditional Hindu values and identity. Argue for or against this perspective, giving justifications for your point of view.